Tag: Brandin Echols

Jets’ young cornerbacks played surprisingly well against tough Panthers offense

The Jets’ quartet of Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II and Javelin Guidry played well despite their youth and inexperience.

One of the Jets’ biggest question marks all offseason revolved around their inexperienced cornerbacks.

The quartet of Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II and Javelin Guidry started a grand total of nine games combined in their careers. All of those starts came from Hall and Guidry in 2020.

But the young group held up well against the Panthers’ offense in their first game together. The unit didn’t stymie Sam Darnold or contain the Panthers’ pass-catchers, but the corners weren’t the reason the Jets lost, either. Darnold targeted the Jets’ cornerbacks on 15 of his 35 attempts in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus, and he only completed nine passes for 77 yards.

Individually, Hall played the best. He allowed just nine yards and one first down on 1-of-2 attempts in 37 coverage snaps, according to Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania. He is clearly the Jets’ top cornerback and manned the right side of the field against the Panthers.

Echols, the Jets’ No. 2 corner, allowed 26 yards and one first down on 3-of-5 attempts in 26 coverage snaps. Carter II, who played in the slot on 20 coverage snaps, allowed three passes on five targets for 17 targets and one first down. Guidry only played 12 coverage snaps, allowing 25 yards and a first down on 2-of-3 attempts.

None of the cornerbacks allowed a touchdown.

 

While all these numbers are extremely encouraging, they’re also extremely limited and situational. Darnold rarely targeted the sidelines and instead exploited mismatches in the middle of the field with Christian McCaffrey or blew the top off the Jets’ weak safeties with deep shots to Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore. Darnold went 18-22 in the middle of the field or at the line of scrimmage, according to NextGen Stats, and completed all of his passes within 10 yards. He only completed 1-4 passing attempts outside the numbers between 10-20 yards.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and defensive backs coach Tony Oden deserve credit for their game plan, though. They took a squad of players with an average age under 24 years old and coached them into quality contributors. The foursome also didn’t miss a tackle or commit a penalty. Hall, Echols and Carter II ranked in the top-40 of all cornerbacks in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus.

This won’t be the hardest challenge the young group faces this year season. They’ll see Julio Jones and A.J. Brown in Week 4, Calvin Ridley in Week 5, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin in Week 16, and Stefon Diggs twice in Weeks 10 and 18. Those are all significantly tougher matchups with better quarterbacks on offenses that attack cornerbacks often.

Week 1 was a solid start for the inexperienced defenders, but not one that spells success for the rest of the season. The group must correct some of the minute mistakes; Robert Saleh specifically mentioned zone coverage looks and winning one-on-one matchups.

But for a unit deemed among the weakest in the NFL, the Jets cornerbacks looked on their way to becoming a strength for the defense this season.

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Panthers vs. Jets: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 1

One of our keys clashes in this Panthers-Jets opener isn’t even a matchup of one opposing player vs. another. It’s a one-on-one battle of a player vs. himself.

Sunday’s season opener between the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets will have a number of intriguing battles within the battle itself.

Some may be exciting one-on-one clashes. Some may be tag team matches. And some may be a matter of just simply beating oneself.

Check out our four key matchups to keep an eye on for Week 1.

Jets release projected starting CB Blessuan Austin

The Jets cut starting cornerback Blessuan Austin after trying to trade him earlier this summer.

The Jets cornerback room just got smaller and less experienced.

New York released third-year cornerback Blessuan Austin after the team unsuccessfully tried to trade him, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Austin started 16 games over the past two seasons after the Jets took him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.

Austin, 25, was expected to start alongside Bryce Hall this year, but now he’ll search for another team. The Rutgers product tallied 88 combined tackles, eight defended passes, two forced fumbles and no interceptions during his two seasons with the Jets.

Austin recently said he was “the real deal” and that he can “make a lot of plays on that field that other corners cannot make.” Apparently, the Jets didn’t feel the same way about the young cornerback.

The Jets could now start one of their 2021 rookies alongside Hall at cornerback. Sixth-round pick Brandin Echols flashed the most this summer, though fellow rookies Jason Pinnock and Isaiah Dunn are also options. The Jets could also pick up another player in free agency or in a trade.

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Jets OT Mekhi Becton, CB Brandin Echols leave practice with injuries

The injury bug hit the Jets again after Mekhi Becton left with a head injury and Brandin Echols hurt his hip at Tuesday’s practice.

The injury bug continued to hit the Jets hard on Tuesday during the team’s joint practice with the Eagles.

Tackle Mekhi Becton left the field and is being evaluated for a head injury, while rookie cornerback Brandin Echols is being looked at for a hip injury, according to Robert Saleh. The Jets took Becton out after he endured a head-to-head collision and vomited. Echols landed on his hip during a coverage play and left with trainers.

A few notable injured Jets returned to limited action while others remained sidelined.

Quinnen Williams, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Elijah More all participated in some team and individual drills. Saleh added that he hopes receiver Denzel Mims will return next week but didn’t offer updates on safety Lamarcus Joyner or defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. Saleh didn’t seem too concerned about any of the injuries.

All three were injured last week during practice with the Packers.

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Javelin Guidry embracing cornerback competition ahead of Jets training camp

Jets cornerback Javelin Guidry will have to fend off a pair of rookies to hold onto his starting nickel job.

The Jets might have drafted Michael Carter II and Brandin Echols with an eye on upgrading their nickel cornerback position, but there is a chance the answer New York is looking for at the position was already on the roster.

Javelin Guidry was not given much of a chance to make a 53-man roster when the Jets scooped him up as an undrafted free agent last offseason. Guidry’s elite speed got him to the NFL, but there were concerns surrounding his slight 5-foot-9 frame and coverage skills.

Guidry quickly eased those concerns and worked his way onto New York’s practice squad and then its active roster. Less than a month after joining the 53-man roster, Guidry found himself not only lining up as the Jets’ starting nickel corner with Brian Poole injured, but also producing at an impressive clip.

That production makes Guidry the favorite to win the starting nickel corner job in Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense entering training camp. The Jets have not to re-signed Poole and do not seem keen on adding a veteran cornerback to the mix before training camp. That leaves two inexperienced rookies as Guidry’s main competition in the slot entering the summer.

Guidry does not have any ties to New York’s new regime, but his rookie tape was mostly impressive and Saleh and Ulbrich know talent when they see it. If the Utah product proves he is the best man for the job, the spot will be his — even if Carter II and Echols were handpicked by Gang Green’s defensive staff.

“I understand that every day is an interview,” Guidry said of the Jets’ cornerback competition in an interview with team reporter Eric Allen.

Competition tends to take a player’s game to the next level and all indications are that Guidry is more than ready to duke it out for the starting job throughout training camp and the preseason. Guidry is not exactly a veteran entering just his second NFL season, but he is one of the few cornerbacks on New York’s roster with meaningful game experience.

Instead of taking that as a feather in his cap over his rookie competitors and not approaching this year’s cornerback battle with the same intensity as last year’s, Guidry is once again eager to show everyone in Florham Park what he can do.

“Last spring coming off the combine and then the draft, it was a real long year,” Guidry said.  “I’ve just had a real offseason after getting some experience last year. Now it’s a blessing to show what I’ve been working on at home.”

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Jets sign 3 more draft picks before rookie minicamp

The Jets aren’t wasting any time getting their rookies signed, though they still have six more to go, including Zach Wilson.

The Jets officially signed three more of their 2021 draft picks and 12 undrafted free agents Friday after previously signing fifth-round linebacker Jamien Sherwood on Wednesday.

Fifth-round cornerback Jason Pinnock, sixth-round cornerback Brandin Echols and sixth-round defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall also inked deals with the Jets, according to the team. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that both Echols’ and Marshall’s deals will be four-year contracts worth $3.65 million. The Jets also announced their UDFA deals, which include larger contracts for cornerback Isaiah Dunn and tight end Kenny Yeboah.

No word on the contract negotiations for the Jets’ other picks, which include first-rounders Zach Wilson and Alijah Vera-Tucker, second-rounder Elijah Moore, fourth-rounder Michael Carter, fifth-rounder Michael Carter II and sixth-rounder Hamsah Nasirildeen.

According to Spotrac, Wilson will likely sign a four-year, $35.1 million, fully guaranteed deal with a $22.9 million signing bonus, while Vera-Tucker’s contract should be a four-year, fully-guaranteed $15.8 million deal. Moore’s deal should be around $8.9 million total and Carter’s should be about $4.28 million total.

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Jets prioritized versatility & athleticism over positions & production in the draft

Joe Douglas drafted one of the most athletic and versatile classes of the year. This strategy comes with a lot of risk and reward.

The Jets went offense-heavy for their first four picks of the draft and closed things out with a defensive run on Day 3. What almost every one of Joe Douglas’ picks has in common, however, is athleticism and versatility.

New York tied for the fourth most athletic draft class in the league, according to NFL NextGen Stats. They trailed only the Dolphins, Cardinals and Panthers. The Jets also drafted the most players with at least a 75 athleticism score (6), per NextGen Stats, highlighted by second-round pick Elijah Moore and sixth-round picks Jonathan Marshall and Brandin Echols. Moore finished with an athleticism and production score of 91 – the only receiver in the draft to do so – while Marshall and Echols both scored a 99. Marshall’s score was the highest of all defensive tackles in the draft.

Athleticism scores aside, the Jets also drafted a ton of flexible players throughout the draft. Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker can also play tackle, while  Moore and running back Michael Carter can make plays from all over the field. On defense, the Jets will convert hybrid safeties Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasirildeen into weakside linebackers. They also picked two defensive backs, Echols and Michael Carter II, who can play in the slot and on the outside cornerback. They also drafted CB Jason Pinnock, whose length and speed are his greatest attributes.

Even Zach Wilson fits this mold at quarterback. Though he was incredibly productive last year at BYU, the Jets appeared more enamored by his traits than his stats. Scouts raved about Wilson’s arm strength during the season and at his pro day, as well as his mobility inside and outside the pocket. The Jets didn’t care that Wilson played against lesser competition than Justin Fields or Mac Jones – what mattered was his ability to make great plays.

This is the Douglas and Robert Saleh way: find as many talented athletes as you can and use them all over the field. Saleh saw it firsthand in Seattle when Pete Carroll built his defense in the early 2010s with positionless defenders and when third-rounder Russell Wilson took over as the starting quarterback. Douglas, meanwhile, played a role in the development of Ravens and Eagles championship teams built around athletic draft classes. 

For the offense, it makes sense to go this route. Mike LaFleur’s scheme is all about making space for the quarterback, running back and receivers. The best way to do that is to acquire talented athletes. He watched Kyle Shanahan deploy this strategy during their stops together, especially in San Francisco. The 49ers’ best offensive weapons were their tight end, an undrafted running back and two speedy receivers in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Wilson, Moore and Carter all fit that mold perfectly and give LaFleur a lot of options when it comes to his weekly game plan. Any type of play will be on the table for him, especially with an offensive line that excels in zone-blocking. That’s where Vera-Tucker comes in to join Mekhi Becton and George Fant.

The defense benefits the most from this idea of positionless football, though. The Seahawks defense is the best example of this idea working flawlessly and the Jets have tried to emulate it as well as they could. The defensive line was already super athletic and versatile with Quinnen Williams and Foley Fatukasi in the middle with Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers on the edge, but the addition of Sherwood and Nasirildeen gives the front-seven the added bonus of impressive coverage skills in the middle of the field. 

Just watch Sherwood drop into coverage after lining up over the A-gap here and playing fantastic defense on the receiver:

The Jets didn’t have anywhere close to that type of playmaking ability in years past. That will change with defenders with experience at safety and linebacker playing alongside C.J. Mosley in the middle.

The opportunities the Jets will have with an offense and defense that features skilled players who won’t be pigeonholed are almost endless. It also puts a big burden on the coaching staff to reign in its players to ensure maximum potential. There is a lot of benefit in drafting this way, and also a lot of risk.

If the Jets can take advantage of what they accomplished, the team’s young core could develop into a threat on both sides of the ball.

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Jets prioritized versatility & athleticism over positions & production in the draft

Joe Douglas drafted one of the most athletic and versatile classes of the year. This strategy comes with a lot of risk and reward.

The Jets went offense-heavy for their first four picks of the draft and closed things out with a defensive run on Day 3. What almost every one of Joe Douglas’ picks has in common, however, is athleticism and versatility.

New York tied for the fourth most athletic draft class in the league, according to NFL NextGen Stats. They trailed only the Dolphins, Cardinals and Panthers. The Jets also drafted the most players with at least a 75 athleticism score (6), per NextGen Stats, highlighted by second-round pick Elijah Moore and sixth-round picks Jonathan Marshall and Brandin Echols. Moore finished with an athleticism and production score of 91 – the only receiver in the draft to do so – while Marshall and Echols both scored a 99. Marshall’s score was the highest of all defensive tackles in the draft.

Athleticism scores aside, the Jets also drafted a ton of flexible players throughout the draft. Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker can also play tackle, while  Moore and running back Michael Carter can make plays from all over the field. On defense, the Jets will convert hybrid safeties Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasirildeen into weakside linebackers. They also picked two defensive backs, Echols and Michael Carter II, who can play in the slot and on the outside cornerback. They also drafted CB Jason Pinnock, whose length and speed are his greatest attributes.

Even Zach Wilson fits this mold at quarterback. Though he was incredibly productive last year at BYU, the Jets appeared more enamored by his traits than his stats. Scouts raved about Wilson’s arm strength during the season and at his pro day, as well as his mobility inside and outside the pocket. The Jets didn’t care that Wilson played against lesser competition than Justin Fields or Mac Jones – what mattered was his ability to make great plays.

This is the Douglas and Robert Saleh way: find as many talented athletes as you can and use them all over the field. Saleh saw it firsthand in Seattle when Pete Carroll built his defense in the early 2010s with positionless defenders and when third-rounder Russell Wilson took over as the starting quarterback. Douglas, meanwhile, played a role in the development of Ravens and Eagles championship teams built around athletic draft classes. 

For the offense, it makes sense to go this route. Mike LaFleur’s scheme is all about making space for the quarterback, running back and receivers. The best way to do that is to acquire talented athletes. He watched Kyle Shanahan deploy this strategy during their stops together, especially in San Francisco. The 49ers’ best offensive weapons were their tight end, an undrafted running back and two speedy receivers in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Wilson, Moore and Carter all fit that mold perfectly and give LaFleur a lot of options when it comes to his weekly game plan. Any type of play will be on the table for him, especially with an offensive line that excels in zone-blocking. That’s where Vera-Tucker comes in to join Mekhi Becton and George Fant.

The defense benefits the most from this idea of positionless football, though. The Seahawks defense is the best example of this idea working flawlessly and the Jets have tried to emulate it as well as they could. The defensive line was already super athletic and versatile with Quinnen Williams and Foley Fatukasi in the middle with Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers on the edge, but the addition of Sherwood and Nasirildeen gives the front-seven the added bonus of impressive coverage skills in the middle of the field. 

Just watch Sherwood drop into coverage after lining up over the A-gap here and playing fantastic defense on the receiver:

The Jets didn’t have anywhere close to that type of playmaking ability in years past. That will change with defenders with experience at safety and linebacker playing alongside C.J. Mosley in the middle.

The opportunities the Jets will have with an offense and defense that features skilled players who won’t be pigeonholed are almost endless. It also puts a big burden on the coaching staff to reign in its players to ensure maximum potential. There is a lot of benefit in drafting this way, and also a lot of risk.

If the Jets can take advantage of what they accomplished, the team’s young core could develop into a threat on both sides of the ball.

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4 things to know about new Jets CB Brandin Echols

Kentucky cornerback Brandin Echols was a sixth-round selection by the Jets.

Kentucky’s Brandin Echols was one of three cornerbacks the Jets picked on the final day of the 2021 NFL draft.

Echols played in 24 career games, including 22 starts, at Kentucky and recorded 108 total tackles, 11 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one interception and one sack. He’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-11 and 178 pounds, but he makes it up with his speed. He ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash time at his pro day.

Given Echols’ size and speed, he’ll ideally be able to play in dime packages with the Jets.

For now, though, let’s take a look at some things to know about Gang Green’s newest cornerback.

Kentucky CB Brandin Echols declares for 2021 NFL draft

Kentucky cornerback Brandin Echols is leaving school early to enter the 2021 NFL draft

Kentucky’s cornerback prospect Brandin Echols announced via social media Monday afternoon that he will be entering the 2021 NFL draft.

Echols is a former JUCO product that was recently invited to participate in The East-West Shrine Bowl.

“I’m excited about the next step and I will continue to learn, mature and excel as a responsible and upstanding citizen,” Echols wrote in a message posted to social media.

Echols recorded 52 tackles (fourth on the team), a team-high nine PBUs, two forced fumbles (tied for second on the team), 2.5 TFL and a sack in 2019.

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